Paisley's Pulpits Paralysed.

Just when the spiritual paralysis, crept into the pulpits of the Free Presbyterian Church, could be a matter of conjecture; however, the symptoms were very apparent, from the time that the DUP signed up to the Belfast agreement. As Rev Ian Paisley's church preached against compromise, and held strictly to the doctrine of separation, one would have expected that such convictions, would have prevented the party which he lead, from compromising its' original position.

There was no opposition, from the Free Presbyterian Church, against the suggested political framework of the Good Friday agreement; there seemed to be a kind of spiritual paralysis, which prevented the customary church protests; there was little evidence of days of prayer and fasting to seek divine intervention, in order for the agreement to be smashed, as in the time of the Anglo Irish agreement.

The spiritual paralysis, spread farther in the Free Presbyterian Church at the signing of the St Andrews agreement; no opposition, no cries of duplicity or treachery, as in the past. By now it was evident that, the plague of politics in the pulpits, had caused this spreading spiritual paralysis. The voice which once thundered against apostasy, immorality, ecumenism and compromise was growing weaker and weaker.

When the Free Presbyterian Church learned, that its founder and moderator was going into the power assembly as first minister, they considered the work load would be too much for their moderator, and allowed him to stand down. There was no protest from the church when their political wing entered into the power sharing executive, no denunciation, not a word from the pulpits; what a change from the days of Mr O'Neill, Mr Clark, Mr Faulkner, Mr Molyneaux and Mr Trimble; these were times when political sermons and cries of, compromise, Pope head, apostate, Judas, etc, abounded; may I add that, this was far from God glorifying.

Now, even when Rev Ian Paisley is no longer leader of the DUP, even when he is no longer First Minister, the Free Presbyterian Church is still silent, the spiritual paralysis has infected the whole body. Presently, during this political turmoil, when the moral high ground, once occupied by the DUP has been swept away without trace, when humanism and atheism are abounding, when civil and religious liberty is being destroyed, there is not a word from Paisley's pulpits on these matters as there once was.

Christians need to awake to this reality; this spiritual paralysis is incurable, it hinders growth and progress, it genders division and isolation, it destroys fellowship and encourages doubt, it brings down and demands surrender, it discredits and destroys all that it infects. This spiritual paralysis is highly contagious and has no known antidote, therefore take note and keep clear.

If such a circumstance as has been outlined here had presented itself to Rev Ian Paisley some years ago, I wonder what he would have called this spiritual paralysis? Would he have called it apostasy?

Rev Mervyn Cotton (Heb13:6)